Healthy Living Simplified for On-The-Go Families

Unlock the secrets to a healthier, more energized lifestyle by optimizing your metabolism with guidance from Dr. Damaris Murillo-Grossman, author of "Metabolism Boost: Quick Tips for Busy Parents." Discover the transformative potential of lean proteins and leafy greens in enhancing your body's energy levels while minimizing inflammation. Navigate the complexities of meal timing and nutritional metabolism, and learn how to maintain balanced eating habits amidst the chaos of daily life.

Join us as we explore effective strategies to boost your metabolism through lifestyle tweaks, insightful hormone discussions, and stress management techniques. Dr. Grossman shares her expertise on the benefits of smaller, frequent meals, and the power of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) for busy parents. We also delve into the critical role of rest, recovery, and how stress impacts fat storage. Unravel the powerful connection between gut health and hormones, and leave with practical tools to manage stress and nutrition mindfully, empowering you to make small, sustainable changes for lasting health improvements.

Transcript

Unlocking Metabolism Secrets for Busy Parents

Speaker 1 0:23

Ever feel like your metabolism is kind of like hitting the snooze button while life's stuck on fast forward.

Speaker 2 0:27

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 0:29

Especially with the kids work and like just getting dinner on the table every night. It's like finding time to work out is a whole thing in itself.

Speaker 2 0:39

Right.

Speaker 1 0:40

But you know what we're diving into this really cool book today?

Speaker 2 0:42

Yeah.

Speaker 1 0:43

I think it might have the answers to like unlocking our metabolisms even when we're super busy.

Speaker 2 0:49

You're talking about Metabolism Boost. Quick Tips for Busy Parents by Dr Damaris Murillo-Grossman.

Speaker 1 0:55

Yes, yeah, exactly that one. And forget about reading the whole thing. We're just, you know, cherry picking the juiciest bits Okay, especially from those first few chapters, and get this. I was actually surprised by some of the stuff in here. It's not all like the same old diet and exercise stuff. Yeah, we're talking about like surprising foods we're going to get into hormones and get this, even the gut microbiome.

Speaker 2 1:21

Wow Right, how cool is that? Yeah, it's. It's interesting because people, I think, often forget that our metabolism is always like switched on you know it's working behind the scenes. It's not just when we're, you know, hitting the gym or anything.

Speaker 1 1:31

That's so true. We're so quick to beat ourselves up over that extra slice of pizza, but we never like stop and appreciate all the amazing things our bodies are doing every second of the day. And get this Dr Grossman. She says that if we understand our own metabolism, like our own unique metabolism, that could be a total game changer.

Speaker 2 1:51

Yeah, absolutely. It's like having you know the cheat codes to your own, like energy factory.

Speaker 1 1:56

Right.

Speaker 2 1:57

And thankfully you know there are some things we can control, like our lifestyle choices, even if we can't change things, like you know, our age or our genetics.

Speaker 1 2:05

OK, see, that's empowering.

Speaker 2 2:07

Yeah.

Speaker 1 2:07

I like that. So let's talk food, because the book dives into what Dr Grossman calls nutritional metabolism. Ooh, it sounds very official.

Speaker 2 2:17

Yeah, it does, doesn't it? It's basically just, you know, making sure that you're choosing foods that actually fuel your body properly and efficiently, not just adding empty calories.

Speaker 1 2:32

You know you wouldn't put like the wrong fuel in a really high performance car, would you? That's a good point. I never thought of it like that Right, and I got to admit I had a bit of an aha moment when I was reading about lean protein. I know it's good for you, but I never knew it actually took more energy to digest, like compared to carbs or fats.

Speaker 2 2:47

Yeah, it's true, it's called the thermic effect of food. So with protein you can burn up to 30% of the calories just from digesting it.

Speaker 1 2:56

Whoa, no way. Yeah. So more protein, more calorie burn, even when I'm just like living my life, sign me up.

Speaker 2 3:03

Exactly.

Speaker 1 3:04

Okay, I have to confess, when I saw leafy greens on the list of metabolism boosting foods, I was like here we go again. Like we all know, veggies are good for you, but is there something like else going on there?

Speaker 2 3:16

There is yeah, it's not just about you know all the vitamins and minerals. They're great, but leafy greens have these powerful compounds that can actually help reduce inflammation in your body, which can, like, directly impact your metabolism.

Optimizing Metabolism and Health

Speaker 1 3:30

Interesting, yeah, so it's like they're doing double duty they're fueling us up, but they're also keeping things running smoothly. I also want to talk about meal timing, because that's something I constantly struggle with.

Speaker 2 3:39

Yeah.

Speaker 1 3:40

Like how often you're eating when you're eating.

Speaker 2 3:42

Yeah, it's so crucial, especially with like a busy schedule. You know it's easy to just skip meals entirely or just like completely overeat when you finally have a second, and that just wreaks havoc on your blood sugar levels.

Speaker 1 3:55

Okay, so what's the secret? What are we supposed to do?

Speaker 2 3:58

Well, Dr Grossman, she's a big advocate for having smaller, more frequent meals and snacks throughout the day.

Speaker 1 4:05

Interesting, yeah. So instead of those three big meals, it's more about like keeping your metabolism, keeping that engine humming with just like a steady stream of good fuel all day.

Speaker 2 4:16

Exactly, exactly, and it helps to stabilize your blood sugar levels so you don't have those like energy crashes that make you just want to grab, you know, sugary snacks and stuff.

Speaker 1 4:25

Right, right.

Speaker 2 4:26

It's all about that consistent energy, rather than like those peaks and dips throughout the day.

Speaker 1 4:31

OK, that makes a lot of sense. Now, I know we've only just like scratched the surface here, but I'm already feeling kind of inspired to make some changes.

Speaker 2 4:38

Yeah.

Speaker 1 4:38

OK, so let's, let's talk about exercise, right? I kind of have like a love hate relationship with that word.

Speaker 2 4:45

Yeah.

Speaker 1 4:45

Especially, as you know, a busy parent. Love-hate relationship with that word. Yeah, especially, as you know, a busy parent. But Dr Grossman actually has a whole chapter about this she does. It's called Effective Workouts for Busy Parents.

Speaker 2 4:55

Okay.

Speaker 1 4:56

Which honestly felt like a breath of fresh air.

Speaker 2 4:58

Yeah, it's encouraging right To know that you don't have to like join a gym or spend hours and hours. Yes.

Speaker 1 5:04

To actually make a difference.

Speaker 2 5:06

Exactly.

Speaker 1 5:06

And the interesting thing here is that even those like really short bursts of activity can have a positive impact on your metabolism.

Speaker 2 5:14

That's good to hear, because sometimes honestly, even just thinking about working out is exhausting in itself.

Speaker 1 5:19

Totally, totally, but one of the things that she mentions is HII.

Speaker 2 5:23

Okay.

Speaker 1 5:24

High intensity interval training. Okay high intensity interval training, which is, I think, a really amazing option if you're busy, because it's these short bursts of intense exercise, but with recovery periods in between.

Speaker 2 5:38

Okay.

Speaker 1 5:38

So we're talking 20 to 30 minutes a few times a week.

Speaker 2 5:42

Okay, that feels doable Right. What is it about HIIT, though? What makes it so magical for our metabolism?

Speaker 1 5:49

So one word Hi, after burn, after burn.

Speaker 2 5:52

Yeah, so HIIT triggers something called EPIOC.

Speaker 1 5:56

Okay.

Speaker 2 5:56

Which is excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. Basically, it just means that your body continues to burn calories at a higher rate Wow Even after you finished exercising.

Speaker 1 6:07

Wait, seriously, so I can like be done with my workout.

Speaker 2 6:11

Yeah.

Speaker 1 6:11

And my body's still like torching calories.

Speaker 2 6:14

In the background, yeah, that's amazing.

Speaker 1 6:16

Yeah, and my body's still like torching calories In the background. Yeah, that's amazing.

Speaker 2 6:17

Right.

Speaker 1 6:17

Okay, I'm, I'm sold.

Speaker 2 6:19

Yeah.

Speaker 1 6:19

But what about? What about rest and recovery?

Speaker 2 6:22

Yes.

Speaker 1 6:22

Because, realistically, how crucial is that in all of this?

Speaker 2 6:26

It's. It's just as important as the workouts themselves.

Speaker 1 6:29

Really.

Speaker 2 6:29

Oh, yeah, like too much of a good thing you know, you can overdo it. Overtraining without enough rest can actually like backfire. It can lead to fatigue and injuries. It can even like mess with your hormones, which can then, you know, have a knock on effect on your metabolism.

Speaker 1 6:46

Of course it's all connected, right.

Speaker 2 6:47

It is yeah.

Speaker 1 6:47

Okay, so we need to be treating rest like it's like an essential part of this plan.

Speaker 2 6:52

Absolutely yeah. Treat it like a necessity, not like Not a luxury. Exactly.

Speaker 1 6:56

Yeah, when I have time, you know.

Speaker 2 6:58

Exactly.

Speaker 1 6:58

Which, who has time for that, speaking of things that are all connected hormones.

Speaker 2 7:04

Okay.

Speaker 1 7:04

That was, I'll admit, like that was the part of the book that I was like ooh, this feels a little daunting to me.

Speaker 2 7:10

Yeah.

Speaker 1 7:11

Hormones. That's a lot Gut health, like it all felt very complex.

Speaker 2 7:14

Yeah, it can be. It's a lot to unpack.

Speaker 1 7:16

Yeah.

Speaker 2 7:17

But I think she actually does a really good job of breaking it down.

Speaker 1 7:20

She does.

Speaker 2 7:21

And making it kind of surprisingly accessible.

Speaker 1 7:24

She does, yeah, okay, so let's let's start with the hormones, because how do they, how do they even play into this? Like, how do hormones actually affect our metabolism?

Speaker 2 7:33

How do hormones actually affect our metabolism. So I mean hormones essentially are like these messengers that are regulating. You know pretty much everything that happens in your body, right, and that includes your metabolism. So you know we've talked about insulin and how that impacts. You know blood sugar control and things like that. But there are other hormones as well. You know you've got cortisol, which is like our stress hormone.

Speaker 1 7:54

Yeah, yeah, cortisol. Cortisol and I are very well acquainted.

Speaker 2 7:57

Right, and I think you know, especially as a parent, it's very easy to feel constantly stressed.

Speaker 1 8:04

Right.

Speaker 2 8:05

But the thing with cortisol is when you're you know, chronically stressed.

Speaker 1 8:10

Right.

Speaker 2 8:10

And those cortisol levels are elevated. That can actually lead to your body storing more fat, particularly around like your midsection.

Speaker 1 8:18

See, that explains a lot, right? It's almost like our bodies are like hardwired to hold onto fat when we're stressed Totally, which probably made a lot of sense, you know, back in the caveman days.

Speaker 2 8:30

Right.

Speaker 1 8:30

But not so much now, when it's just like a constant.

Speaker 2 8:34

Yeah, when it's like oh, your everyday life, exactly right yeah.

Speaker 1 8:37

And then there's the thyroid as well.

Speaker 2 8:40

Yeah.

Speaker 1 8:40

Which produces hormones, which again directly impact metabolism.

Speaker 2 8:44

Exactly, exactly, and that's one of those things you know, if you have like an overactive thyroid or an underactive thyroid that can really impact everything Like from your weight to your energy levels, to even like your mood.

Speaker 1 8:58

Wow, your thyroid is like a real multitasker.

Speaker 2 9:02

It is. It does a lot.

Speaker 1 9:03

It really does. And this is where things get really interesting, because she starts to connect the dots between our hormones and wait for it gut health.

Speaker 2 9:15

Yes.

Speaker 1 9:17

And I'm going to be honest, like I always kind of thought that gut health was a little bit of a like a buzzword, like a trendy thing to say, but it turns out all of those like trillions of bacteria that are living in our digestive tract.

Speaker 2 9:32

Your gut microbiome.

Speaker 1 9:33

Our gut microbiome. It's like this whole other world that's going on inside of us.

Speaker 2 9:39

Yeah, it's a whole ecosystem that's impacting so much more than just like our digestion, which I think is what people think about.

Speaker 1 9:45

It's a metropolis.

Speaker 2 9:46

A metropolis Right. It's crazy, it's wild.

Speaker 1 9:49

Okay. So if we, if we like, zoom in on that for a second. Okay, our gut microbiome how is that actually impacting our metabolism?

Speaker 2 9:57

So this is where I think it gets really fascinating. So these little bacteria, these microbes in our gut.

Speaker 1 10:03

Yeah.

Speaker 2 10:03

They actually produce some of the same hormones that our bodies do.

Speaker 1 10:07

What.

Speaker 2 10:07

Yeah, including ones that regulate metabolism and appetite? No way.

Speaker 1 10:12

Yeah, so it's like we have this like internal dialogue going on.

Speaker 2 10:16

Right.

Speaker 1 10:17

Between, like our hormones and our gut bacteria.

Speaker 2 10:20

Yeah.

Speaker 1 10:20

It's all like kind of feeding into influencing each other. Yeah, Metabolism, yeah. And what happens then when things get out of whack?

Speaker 2 10:28

Right. Well, that's when you start getting into things like metabolic syndrome. Ok, you know she talks about book.

Speaker 1 10:33

Metabolic syndrome. See, now, that sounds a little ominous.

Speaker 2 10:36

That does sound a bit scary, yeah.

Speaker 1 10:38

Is it as? Is it as scary as it sounds? Metabolic syndrome? See, no, that sounds a little ominous.

Speaker 2 10:46

It does sound a bit scary yeah.

Speaker 1 10:47

Is it as? Is it as scary as it sounds?

Speaker 2 10:50

It's. It's definitely a serious condition.

Speaker 1 10:53

Okay.

Speaker 2 10:53

But the good news is that you know making changes to your lifestyle can actually make a big difference.

Speaker 1 10:58

Okay, so less like doom and gloom.

Speaker 2 11:01

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 11:02

More like a wake up call.

Speaker 2 11:03

Yeah, I think that's a good way to put it.

Speaker 1 11:05

Okay.

Speaker 2 11:05

So metabolic syndrome? It basically means that you have an increased risk of you know.

Speaker 1 11:11

Of what?

Speaker 2 11:12

Heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, things that you don't really want.

Speaker 1 11:16

No, not really.

Speaker 2 11:17

But it's not like one thing, it's a cluster of different things. So it's like having high blood pressure, high blood sugar. You know, maybe carrying a bit of extra weight around your middle and your cholesterol levels might be a bit out of whack. So a few things that we want to kind of Keep in check.

Speaker 1 11:33

Right, yeah, I think we can all agree. Those are all things that we want to keep in check, but thankfully, dr Grossman, she doesn't just like leave us hanging. She gives us an action plan.

Speaker 2 11:42

She does, yeah, she does, and she. She boils it down to these three like key takeaways which I think are really, really helpful, especially for, you know, busy parents like yourself.

Speaker 1 11:52

Lay it on me, I'm ready.

Speaker 2 11:54

OK, so number one.

Speaker 1 11:55

OK. Prioritize real food on me, I'm ready, okay. So number one prioritize real food. Okay, that that sounds good, but I feel like real food.

Speaker 2 12:04

that can be kind of vague, it can.

Speaker 1 12:05

Like what are we really talking about here?

Speaker 2 12:07

So, basically, as much as you can, focus on whole unprocessed foods, things like, you know, fruits, vegetables, lean protein, healthy fats. Those are like.

Speaker 1 12:18

Those are the things.

Speaker 2 12:19

The real MVPs, those are your rock stars, and I think this is where, even if it's just like a little bit of planning, can go a really long way.

Speaker 1 12:28

Tell me about it. I feel like meal planning as a parent is like its own separate job. It is.

Speaker 2 12:34

It is, I feel your pain its own separate job it is. It is, I feel your pain. But I think, even just like you know, sitting down on a Sunday night and just jotting down some meal ideas, or you know prepping some healthy snacks in advance so they're ready to go Right, those little things can just make such a difference when you're, you know, time crunched during the week.

Speaker 1 12:53

It's about setting yourself up for success.

Speaker 2 12:55

Totally.

Speaker 1 12:55

If I've got those good choices ready to go in my fridge, I'm less likely to, you know, go for the cookies when, like that afternoon, slump hits.

Speaker 2 13:04

Exactly, exactly. And that kind of brings us to takeaway number two, which is all about moving your body daily and again, you know, it doesn't have to be this like big, crazy workout routine.

Speaker 1 13:15

Please no, as if I have time for that. This like big, crazy workout routine Please no, as if I have time for that. But no, like seriously. Are you saying that those little like bursts of activity throughout the day can actually make a?

Speaker 2 13:24

difference? Oh, absolutely they do. Yeah, it's like think of it as trying to like sneak in movement wherever you. Can, you know, take the stairs instead of the elevator park a little bit further away from the grocery store.

Speaker 1 13:36

Right right, right have Elevator.

Speaker 2 13:37

Yeah, park a little bit further away from the grocery store, right, right, right, have a dance party with your kids in the living room. You know it all counts.

Speaker 1 13:41

I love that. Okay, so make it fun.

Speaker 2 13:43

Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 1 13:44

And like, fit it into my day. Okay, I like it.

Speaker 2 13:50

Okay, so takeaway number three. Takeaway number three is all about stress management.

Speaker 1 13:54

Oh, stress management, the like the ever present.

Speaker 2 14:00

The thing that I feel like it's like trying to juggle.

Speaker 1 14:02

Yeah, water balloons Right. Why riding a unicycle Like it's doable?

Speaker 2 14:05

You can do it, but it's messy. It's going to be messy.

Speaker 1 14:08

Right, OK so, but stress management like why?

Mindful Stress Management and Nutrition

Speaker 2 14:12

Well, I think this is something that people often overlook, you know we think about. You know the food we're eating and the exercise, but stress management is really important, and not just for you know, like feeling calmer, although that's a bonus, but it actually really impacts your metabolic health as well.

Speaker 1 14:28

Okay.

Speaker 2 14:29

Because remember cortisol.

Speaker 1 14:31

Cortisol? Yes, Not friend cortisol, the stress hormone Right.

Speaker 2 14:34

Keeping your stress levels managed can really help to keep those levels in check Right. Keeping your stress levels managed can really help to keep those levels in check Right, which can then support you know healthy blood sugar levels.

Speaker 1 14:44

You know a healthy gut as well.

Speaker 2 14:45

It really, it really is all connected, isn't it?

Speaker 1 14:48

It is. It's all connected yeah.

Speaker 2 14:50

It's overwhelming, like when I'm feeling stressed. I'm not thinking about you know, taking a deep breath, but are there any like? Are there any like real, like stress management tools or techniques?

Speaker 1 15:05

Yeah, yeah, for sure, for sure. And she talks about mindfulness, Okay, and, and again, it doesn't have to be anything really complicated, you know. Even if it's just like taking a few deep breaths, just being present in the moment, those things can actually make a big difference. And spending time in nature, I think, is another one that she talks about.

Speaker 1 15:25

Yeah, I'm on board with that that has like incredible benefits for both your like mental and your physical well-being. I know that I always just feel more like centered and calm After, even just like a walk in the park.

Speaker 2 15:40

Totally, totally yeah.

Speaker 1 15:42

You know what I mean.

Speaker 2 15:42

And sometimes that's all it takes, yeah, is just to kind of shift your mindset a little bit and just kind of reset those, those stress levels.

Speaker 1 15:50

Amazing, wow, ok, this has been, this has been an eye-opening deep dive. We've covered so much from, like the actual science of metabolism. They have To like tips for people like me who, like barely have time to, you know, brush their hair in the morning, right, let alone like, do a two-hour workout. But I do feel like I don't know. It's kind of empowering.

Speaker 2 16:12

Yeah.

Speaker 1 16:13

To know that even those small changes, if we do them consistently.

Speaker 2 16:17

Consistently is key.

Speaker 1 16:18

Can actually like make a big difference.

Speaker 2 16:22

It's not about you know, those big, drastic, changes.

Speaker 1 16:25

Right.

Speaker 2 16:25

That you're not going to stick to. Right, it's about making those small sustainable changes that you can actually fit into your life.

Speaker 1 16:31

Yes, yeah, Love it, Okay. Well, that was metabolism boost Quick tips for busy parents. That was metabolism boost quick tips for busy parents. But here's a final thought for our listeners, for you guys, because you know we talked a lot about the physical side of things.

Speaker 2 16:44

Yeah.

Speaker 1 16:44

The food we eat, the exercise we do, how to manage stress, all that stuff Right. But I think we all know like food, especially as parents.

Speaker 2 16:53

Yes.

Speaker 1 16:53

Can be about so much more than that. Oh, absolutely it can be about comfort Totally. It can be about so much more than that, right? Oh, absolutely yeah, it can be about comfort Totally. It can be about emotions, like it can even be like a reward.

Speaker 2 17:02

Oh, 100% yeah.

Speaker 1 17:03

You know. So my question for you guys listening is how much do you think our mindset and our, like our relationship with food, how much does that play into all of this as well, along with all the practical stuff? Just something to think about, as you.